


The Christmas Present

by Blue_Night



Category: Football RPF, Real Person Fiction
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Christmas Presents, Erik is the cool kid, Fluff and Angst, Friendship/Love, Happy Ending, M/M, Marco is the dork, Secret Crush, Secret Santa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-17
Updated: 2015-12-17
Packaged: 2018-05-07 06:13:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5446169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blue_Night/pseuds/Blue_Night
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Erik Durm is the coolest kid in the entire school. Marco Reus is the dork of the class, having a crush on Erik. This Advent season, it is up to Marco to be Erik's Secret Santa. Will he be able to find the coolest Christmas present ever and will Erik finally realize that there is more about Marco than meets the eye?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Christmas Present

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TamsinSpellwell](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TamsinSpellwell/gifts).



> Dear TamsinSpellwell, I think you might have a clue for what I want to thank you with this little story. I had some bad days lately, especially yesterday, but you put a smile back on my face the previous evening. I wanted to give you something in return and I hope that you will like my little Christmas story for you.
> 
> My dear readers, I know that most of the times, Erik's and Marco's roles are reversed, Erik being the shy one and Marco the star, but I like to shake things up a little bit and Erik's behavior in public is much less shy than Marco's, so I decided to write it the way I did. The players showing up here are all sixteen years old and in the tenth grade, meaning two years before the German graduation called Abitur, the highest German school graduation.  
> I was inspired to this fic by the very annoying habit of a lot of our teachers letting their pupils play Secret Santa for one of their classmates each and every year, which means that I am the 'lucky' mother having to look for a small gift for kids I don't know, at all, and this for at least two of my kids.  
> The other thing inspiring me to this fic was the rather tricky thing to get tickets for the Star Wars movie on the evening the babysitter would have time to take care of our children.
> 
> I hope you will like it, please let me know, your feedback is very important to me and very, very much appreciated and valued highly.

Marco stared at the small piece of paper with the name written upon it: Erik Durm.

The blond teenager blinked, squeezed his eyes shut and opened them again, eyeing the slip in his trembling fingers again. No, he hadn't dreamed it, the name was still the same: Erik Durm.

Marco cautiously raised his head, his glance traveling to the other side of the classroom where _he_ was sitting, glancing down at his own note.

Erik Durm. The cool kid. The coolest kid ever.

Erik Durm was the captain of the school's football team, their class representative, the guy each other boy wanted to be friends with and the boy each girl had a crush on. The kid with a tail of friends and admirers as long as the whole length of their auditorium, and he was also the guy Marco had a (maybe not so) secret crush on, too.

Not that Erik would ever have looked at him, oh no. The only times Erik Durm lowered himself to acknowledge Marco's sheer presence was when he needed his booklet to copy the homework he hadn't been able to do himself. Not because Erik Durm would have been too dense to comprehend what the teacher had ordered them to do, because Erik was not only cool but also intelligent, but because he had better things to do in his free time. Playing football, chilling with his friends or flirting with the girls for example.

It was so unfair! Erik was not only the cool kid of the school, he was also the most handsome boy Marco had seen in his whole life, blessed with shimmering golden-brown hair and hazel-green eyes that turned Marco's knees into jelly every time the other boy gifted him with one of his rare glances. And his smile...

Marco blinked again, shooting another furtive glance in Erik's direction, but he quickly averted his eyes again when he saw Erik looking back at him, whispering with his best friends Jonas and Auba.

Of course, they would whisper about him. About the dork. The uncoolest kid ever. The one they came to when they needed the maths-homework to copy, but the one no cool kid wanted to be friends with.

Marco swallowed, staring blindly at the note in his sweaty hands again. He hated it that their teacher Mr. Klopp still wanted to play Secret Santa each year. They were in the tenth grade, sixteen years old teenagers, and Secret Santa really was something for babies, for the kids of the elementary school or maybe for those of the fifth or sixth grade. But no, Mr. Klopp wouldn't leave this topic alone, telling them that playing Secret Santa each and every year was good for the moral of the class.

And because Mr. Klopp forced them into that stupid habit each year, Marco was facing the huge problem of having to find the perfect gift for Erik Durm, the cool kid and his secret crush. How was he supposed to solve that problem without making a complete fool out of himself?

 

***

 

“Did you see the look on his face? I'm sure that our dork has drawn your name, Erik!” Robert snickered. Marco pulled the hood of his sweater over his face, hoping that the four classmates walking a few meters ahead of him wouldn't turn around and notice him as they made their way to the gymnasium. “Ha ha ha, he will 'gift' you with a book about maths or so,” Auba snorted, punching Erik in his side. “But, don't worry, I'm sure that you will get a lot of presents from the others to make up for your bad luck, as well.”

Erik shrugged his shoulders. Marco couldn't see his face but, he was sure that the brunet rolled his eyes. “It's okay, I will smile and pretend that I like his present, whatever it might be. My parents taught me manners, you know?” He laughed and his friends started to laugh, too. Of course, if Erik found something funny, they would laugh about it, too, no matter what it was. “I don't care about Secret Santa anyway. Do you know who was the one drawing Marco's name?” Erik then continued and Jonas walking at his other side snickered. “I think it was Luisa. She stared at her note as if she had seen a ghost.”

The four friends laughed again, but then, Erik seemed to grow tired of talking about the class dork and changed the topic. “I can't wait for the Star Wars movie to begin. I have to see to getting tickets for the Saturday after the premiere, I was waiting for this movie for the last months.”

Auba snorted. “You're too late for that, I'm afraid. I tried to get tickets, but the evening shows are all sold out until after Christmas.”

Marco almost bumped into Erik as the brunet stopped all of a sudden. “What?” he exclaimed, horrified. “You're joking, right?”

Robert shook his head. “No, he's not, Erik. I tried to get tickets, as well. They evening shows are all sold out and none of us wants to go there in the afternoon when the parents go there with their children to watch the movie, right?”

Erik shuddered at that. “No, certainly not. Damn it. I'll have to ask my parents then if they would be okay with the late show. They won't like it, but maybe, they'll be generous this time.”

Auba shook his head. “The late show for the first weekend is sold out, too. You have to wait until Christmas, I'm afraid.”

“Oh no! I can't wait for so long!” Erik whined, starting to walk again. Marco watched them disappear behind the door leading to the locker rooms, waiting a few more minutes to enter the gymnasium as he always did so because the others would already have left the locker room when he changed clothes, then.

The blond teenager chewed thoughtfully on his lip, suddenly feeling as if a huge weight had been taken from his shoulders, because he now knew the perfect present for Erik.

The best Christmas present ever. This year, Marco Reus, the dork of the class, wouldn't make a complete fool out of himself when it came to the Secret Santa tradition like he had done it over the last few years. This year, he would have the coolest present ever for the coolest kid ever and he could hardly wait for the day when he could give it to Erik.

When the ten minutes he always waited had passed, Marco entered the locker room, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

 

***

 

“Slow down, please! It's time for our Secret Santa!” Mr. Klopp shouted, clapping his hands. The Christmas party of their class was in full swing and everyone was laughing, chatting and having a good time – everyone except for Marco who had been waiting anxiously for this moment, his hands sweaty and his stomach tied into a tight knot. He had only sipped from his alcohol-free mulled wine, too nervous to really enjoy the party.

“We will do it the usual way, working our way along the alphabet,” Kloppo, as his students called him, continued. Marco swallowed, because he would be the third one to give his present to Erik then.

Kloppo called out the first two names, Luisa Arnold who got a present from Auba winking with his left eye at her. The pretty girl giggled rather pleased, blushing nicely as she thanked the good-looking Gabonese boy.

Auba was the second one, getting a present from Jonas, both of them laughing and punching each other playfully. Marco was pretty sure that Auba would like the present his friend Jonas had chosen for him.

“Erik Durm. Who is his Secret Santa this year?” Kloppo asked, and Marco took the gift he had wrapped into green paper with golden stars and moons upon it. Green and golden, just like Erik's eyes.  
He cleared his throat. “It's me this year.” He stood up with shaky legs, almost tripping over his own feet as he went to Erik, pressing the very thin and small gift into Erik's warm hand. “Merry Christmas, Erik,” he said after clearing his throat again, his eyes cast down at the floor, before walking back to his own chair stiff and tensed, feeling Erik's intensive stare burning a hole into his back.

“Hey, Erik! Open it. We want to see what it is!” Robert shouted and their classmates began to shout and applaud. “Yes, open it, we want to see your present!” Marco sat down on his chair, hoping that the mulled wine wouldn't make a reappearance right here in the classroom. He couldn't bring himself to look up from his desk when he heard the rustling paper as Erik removed it from his gift.

“Hey, Erik, don't hide it! We want to see what it is! Sow us what Marco chose for you,” Jonas complained and Marco hesitantly looked up and at the brunet staring back at him. “No.” Erik pushed the present into his schoolbag, his beautiful eyes now burning a hole into Marco's snow-white face. “Leave it alone, Jonas. It's okay.” Erik's voice sounded surprisingly hard and the class began to whisper and murmur.

Marco didn't hear it. He also didn't notice Mr. Klopp shouting for silence again or when he continued with the names. All he saw were Erik's eyes staring at him during the whole procedure, and when Luisa dropped his own present onto his desk with a disgusted face, he didn't look up to thank her. He just grabbed the compass she had chosen for him and pushed it into his own bag with a resigned smile. He had gotten a compass for the past five years and he most likely would get a compass the next two times, as well, because getting a compass as the Secret Santa gift seemed to be his destiny.

The school bell ringing and announcing the end of the school day put him out of his misery and Marco was finally able to move again, pushing his booklets and his pencil case back into his bag. When he looked up, the class was empty and the blond teenager wondered briefly if it really had taken him that long to get ready for leaving the classroom.

“Marco?” The soft voice next to him startled him out of his musings and he reluctantly turned his head to look at Erik standing beside him, his present in his hand.

“Thank you, Marco, but I cannot accept that. This is far too expensive for a Secret Santa,” the other boy said, offering the two tickets for the Star Wars premiere to Marco.

Marco shook his head. “No, it isn't. Christmas presents are meant to please the receiver, aren't they? You wanted to be one of the firsts to watch the film and you can't just give a present back to the giver. That would be very impolite.”

Erik bit his lip. “Will you at least come with me, then?” he asked hesitantly, and Marco had to swallow against the lump in his throat. “No, I won't. You are Erik Durm, the cool kid and I am only Marco Reus, the dork of the class, the one no one wants to get a gift from. I am the one no one wants to draw the name out of the hat when it comes to Secret Santa and the one who always gets a compass as a Christmas present. I am good enough to let others copy his homework, but I am not the one you would want to be seen with and surely not in a movie theater. Ask your friends, Jonas, Auba, Robert or Luisa, Erik. They will scream with excitement, I'm sure. Please, excuse me, I'll have to go now.”

Marco took his jacket and his bag, fleeing out of the class without one glance back, and when he was certain that Erik wouldn't see him any longer, he allowed the tears that had choked him the entire time to flow freely.

 

***

 

“Marco, your friend is here to pick you up for Star Wars.” His mother came into his room, smiling at her son.

Marco who had lain on his bed, staring blindly at the ceiling, turned his head to look at his mother. “A friend? I don't have a friend. And I told you that I wouldn't go to the premiere, I gave the tickets to someone else,” he said, turning on his side to face the wall, away from his mother.

“I don't know what you're talking about, Marco. You wanted to watch this movie for what feels like an eternity, and the tickets were one of your own Christmas presents. We had a hard time getting them. However, your friend Erik is here and if you don't want to go with him, you have to tell him that yourself,” his mother said before leaving the room again.

Marco buried his face in his pillow that was still damp from the tears he had cried since he had come home. The sound of the door opening again made him curl himself up into a small ball.

“Go away!” he muttered into his pillow as the mattress shifted under the weight of someone sitting down on the edge of his bed.

“No, I won't go away. I'm sorry, Marco. You were right with all what you said this morning and I was an asshole. I want to apologize to you for treating you the way I did,” Erik said, touching his shoulder.

“Apology accepted, now, go away,” Marco mumbled miserably, not wanting Erik to see that he had been crying.

“No, I won't. Not without you. Marco, please look at me.” Erik tugged at his arm until Marco rolled onto his back, covering his face with his arm. “Please, Marco, give me a second chance to prove to you that I am not that much of an asshole as I obviously was for the last years. I really want to watch Star Wars with you and only with you!”

Marco reluctantly peeked out from under his elbow. “You would make yourself look ridiculous if you risked to be seen with me. Your friends will mock you,” he said, but Erik only shrugged. “If my friends will really do that, then I'll have to choose my friends more carefully in the future, I guess. Because real friends won't do that. They will accept that you are my friend, as well, and not mock me or treat you bad. So will you get up from this bed now and come with me? I thought that we could grab a pizza before the film starts.”

Marco gaped at the brunet. “You want to eat pizza with me and watch Star Wars? You should do that with Luisa or so, people will think that we'd have a date.”

Erik blushed a little bit. “Maybe I want it to be a date?” he mumbled, averting his eyes. Marco had never seen Erik being that shy and unsure.

“You want to have a date with me?” the blond pinched himself to make sure that he wasn't dreaming. “Ouch!” he rubbed his forearm where his fingers had left a red spot.

Erik eyed him from the side. “I always liked you. I know that it didn't look like that and I am sorry for that, Marco, really. I was too much of a coward to behave like I should have, but I really do like you. Your speech today opened my eyes, and I was angry with myself the entire day for the way I treated you. Please, give me a second chance.”

Marco looked Erik in his eyes and all he could see was honestly and sincerity. A small smile spread out on his features. “I should better change into other clothes, then,” he finally said, looking down at himself and his old jeans and sweater.

“No you don't need to do that, Marco. You are perfect just the way you are. Just come with me or we won't have enough time for the pizza.” Erik stood up, offering his hand to Marco and Marco let himself be pulled up from the bed, following his classmate and new friend out of his room, beaming all over his face.

 

***

 

“No, thank you, Mrs. Reus. My sister Lisa and her boyfriend Max have tickets for the movie, as well, they will drive us home later. They are both of age and we'll meet them after the film,” Erik said, and Marco's mother smiled at him. “That's good to know. I have nothing against Marco watching the film but I don't want the two of you walking home or taking the bus that late. Have fun then!” she said, closing the door behind her son and his unexpected friend.

Erik smiled at Marco tugging him along to the bus-stop at his hand. “Where do you want to go for the pizza?” he asked and all Marco could do was grinning all over his face. “As long as I can have the pizza together with you, I don't care,” he admitted and Erik blushed at that. “Alright, I know a good place,” he said with a smile that warmed Marco from the inside, making butterflies clap their wings in his belly. They had to run to catch the bus just approaching the bus-stop and when they sat down on the bench in the back of the bus, snickering, Marco finally believed that this was truly happening.

The evening he had thought to be one of the saddest evenings of his life had turned out to become one of the best evenings instead, and Marco eventually allowed himself to relax and just enjoy it.

The pizza had been delicious and after the first awkward minutes, Marco had managed to talk with Erik about nothing and everything without making a complete fool out of himself. Erik had listened to him with interest and a sweet smile upon his face, and he had told Marco a few things about himself the blond was sure his other friends didn't know about, at all.

After the pizza, they had strolled through the city until it was time for the movie, and Erik's sister Lisa and her boyfriend Max had waited for them before the entrance, smiling friendly at Marco and accompanying them to their seats because the teenagers weren't allowed to visit the theater that late on their own. They promised to pick them up after the movie before leaving them to their own devices to search for their own seats.

Marco still had the feeling that he was dreaming a wonderful dream as he now sat beside Erik, snuggled close in his comfortable chair, noshing on the popcorn Erik had bought for them, together with two cokes. Their hands touched from time to time and each time they did, Erik tenderly stroked his fingers. The warm and mushy feeling in Marco's belly just wouldn't want to go away, and when the popcorn had found its way into their stomachs, Erik shyly took his hand, entangling their fingers.

Marco felt himself blushing, grateful that the room was dark enough to hide it. The film was great but Marco's attention was focused on the other teenager sitting close enough that he could smell his aftershave and the unique scent of his skin and his hair, and when Erik's thumb started to stroke the back of his hand and his palm, Marco was sure that he would melt with happiness the very next second.

He stared at the screen, trying to figure out what was happening there, but he couldn't resist to turn his head and look at Erik now and then, and every time he did so, Erik returned his gaze, smiling at him and squeezing his hand.

Finally, the film was over and they left the theater together with Lisa and Max, tired but happy. They climbed into the car in silence and when they had taken their seats in the backseat of Max' car, Erik took his hand again. Marco listened to Max, Erik and Lisa discussing the movie while Max drove them to Marco's place, fine with being silent and just listening.

When the car stopped, Erik left the vehicle together with him. “I'll be back in a minute,” he said to Max, taking Marco's hand and walking with him to the front door of the house where Marco lived.

Marco smiled sheepishly at him. “Thank you for this wonderful evening, Erik,” he said and Erik smiled back at him. “I have to thank you for this evening, Marco. It was the most wonderful evening of my whole life, and it wasn't so because of Star Wars, but because of you. Spending this evening with you was the best Christmas present in the entire world and I really want to thank you for that.”

Marco blushed. “It was the same for me, Erik. The movie was great, but watching it with you was what made this evening really special. I enjoyed it, a lot,” he admitted, shyly, and the other boy bent forward to graze Marco's trembling lips with his own warm ones in a chaste kiss.

“So I'm allowed to take you out on a date again, Marco?” he asked and Marco nodded his head. “I'd love that, Erik. But, your friends...”

Erik gently laid his finger onto his mouth to silence him. “Don't worry about them, Marco. I don't care about what they will say. All I care about is that you were willing to give me a second chance. So, please tell me that you will go out with me again.”

“Yes, I will, Erik,” Marco replied, happily, and Erik beamed at him, kissing him on his cheek. “I'll call you tomorrow, then. You, Marco Reus, are the best Christmas present ever, don't you forget that!” the brunet teenager said, hopping cheerfully his way back to Max' car. He waved at Marco one last time before climbing into the car again that soon disappeared around the next corner.

Marco waved back, his lips and cheek tingling where Erik had kissed him. “And you are my best Christmas present ever, Erik Durm,” he whispered when the car was out of sight, knowing that his own one and only wish for Christmas had finally come true.

Erik Durm, the coolest kid of the entire school liked him, Marco Reus, the dork. Marco still could hardly believe it, but it had really happened. The blond teenager went to bed with a happy smile on his face, knowing that he would never feel like a dork again, and when he finally fell asleep, he dreamed about a wonderful future with Erik by his side.

Sometimes, miracles truly happen and which time would be better for miracles to happen than the wonderful and magical Christmas time?


End file.
